The Netjer
Pesedjt.jpg Pesedjt2.jpg It always begins and ends with the water. Some of the Netjer claim that eight Primordials — or maybe Titans — called the Ogdoad arose from the primeval and chaotic waters of Nu, creating the World as a mound rises from the falling flood waters, given space by the creation of Re. In others, the Primordial Atum, divinity without peer, created the Ennead Titans, who themselves gave birth to the Gods. The God Ptah has claimed at times to have built the World as a grand project, but he’s demonstrably young... though he has significant evidence to the contrary. Both the Ogdoad and the Ennead exist, and the Gods can produce evidence for every origin. Truly, the Netjer originated in ancient Egypt over 7,000 years ago. In the earliest days, the people, remet, worshipped one or two Gods who acted as patrons for the region from individual cities. These cults rose up around stories and names of Gods, but they did not understand the full breadth of the Netjer any more than they understood the course of the Nile. As people traveled between cities, the Gods’ influence also spread, causing conflict between those who were used to the undivided attention of their worshippers. Some Gods always enjoyed the attention of all the people of Egypt, using different names between different cults to deceive the other Gods. None know when it began, or with whom, but the pharaohs in Upper Egypt claimed they were divinely appointed to rule all of Egypt, and the Gods backed them. In short order, the land was unified, and so too were the Netjer. Since then, the Gods of Egypt have endured through cultural, mythic, and physical changes to the World. They have fought with the Yazata and the Theoi, even had some scraps with the Gods of Caanan, but in the modern era the Netjer have no enemies but the ones they’ve faced daily for millennia. The pantheon concerns itself with the concept of ma’at, living a just and true life. They believe this can be achieved through balance and order, seeking justice and leading through just acts. They are at constant odds with their antithesis Titans, who seek to disrupt social order and spread injustice. Where once the Netjer commanded worshippers in the millions, they now look over hundreds of thousands. Their followers are no longer located solely in Egypt, but instead circle the World. Yet Egypt lives in their ib, their hearts. Even if it’s no longer the superpower it once was, the Netjer are never far from the sands and silt, both literally and metaphorically. 'Principal Members' For the Netjer, Gods come and go. Sometimes it’s the same God, under a different name; sometimes an old God falls out of favor, people stop worshipping her, and a new one with a new name takes her job. Those Gods don't just disappear; instead, they end up with small, bit roles among the intensely political greater pantheon. Wordy rhetoric and poetry fill their days and nights, and there’s little room even at the bottom for the ambitious — but even kind, balanced Heru was devious and vicious in claiming his kingship. This means there are thousands of Netjer Gods, lesser Gods, and Titans who would love to fill the roles of the principals, but only a few have held mortal interest and the political will of the pantheon for more than a few centuries, and few have the mettle and the will to sacrifice virtue to climb to the top. At times, a collection of nine Netjer Gods and Primordials, the Pesedjet, was worshipped, but the modern World shows a different series of faces. Pantheon Path Assest Skills: '''Academics, Occult '''Virtue: Balance and Justice The Netjer believe in balance in all things and seek to live true and just lives. Ma’at often translates into some form of truth or justice when the philosophy is boiled down, and most of the Netjer seek justice in one form or another. But that justice can sometimes take the form of vengeance or mercy depending on personal bias. At the same time, the Netjer caution to exercise care in determining who and what kinds of justice to use. They maintain that balance is vital, and all things have an opposite that is equally important. Allowing passion to overcome sense and straying too far to one end or another leads to imbalance, which can then spread to all aspects of life. All Netjer are reconciled with their opposites and use them to learn and grow, hoping to maintain a balance that will give them greater insight into leading a just life. Balance is order, harmony, and the place of all things within the World. Yet the World must continue to function and proceed in a way that reveals the truth of all things, for the Netjer know that to lie is to forsake ma'at and lose their place in Duat. Truth may not be literal truth, but the proper way things proceed, and thus an even and equitable distribution to all. Justice, by contrast, is about repayment in its truest form. Justice is not just the act of punishing wrongdoings, but is instead appropriate consequences for actions. Justice can be a reward for a life well-lived, and it can be punishment for bad deeds. The philosophy of ma’at holds that the Netjer should endeavor to live just lives, handing out justice to those who deserve it. This pursuit can easily become a singular passion, causing those who follow it to forget the need for Balance. The Netjer are concerned with the proper and orderly flow of the World, yet all things demand an accounting. Justice pursued too vigorously leads to vengeance and the lack of balance, but over-weighing the scales towards balance permits injustice to flourish. Signature Purview: 'Heku The Netjer are concerned with the state of one’s soul above all else. A person is made up of multiple parts the Ren (name), Ib (heart), Sheut (shadow), Ba (personality), Ka (vital essence), and Ha (the sum of all these). In sum, all these parts make up the person’s soul, their intentions, personality, intelligence, and the life force that drives them. Heku is the magical energy that comes from the life and death of a person. 'Cosmology 'Overworlds' 'Nu' Nu and Pet are both Terra Incognitae associated with the Netjer in the Overworld, though Nu is itself a larger portion of the Titanic (possibly Primordial) ocean and isn’t safe for visiting. The path between the World and Pet, or between Duat and Pet, is long, arduous, and often requires climbing a physical and metaphysical ladder. Few bother to make the climb unless in great need, such as when Aset went to ask for assistance in resurrecting Wesir, and later when Wesir climbed the ladder from Duat to offer his thanks. The Overworld of Nu is vast and boundless: an ocean that not only feeds the rivers of Heaven, the World, and the Underworld, but seeps into the deepest part of Duat, the Sixth Hour of the Night, creating a pool of water in which Re is reborn in the night. Nu is chaos, waters that dissolve the damned souls that wash out of Duat. 'Pet' Pet is a wide plain held up by Shu in the middle, and by the four pillars — themselves deities called the Heh — in the four corners. It has four directions with four gates, bordered by the horizons and the zenith. The plain itself is a giant freshwater swamp that the Sun Barque sails through daily; at the east and west are solid banks, with the only other solid ground being the Beaten Path of Stars, the Milky Way, leading through the swamp. Pet is a “domain of passage, not of residence” — nothing dwells here, except the stars on occasion. Besides the two mountains that mark the way westward, Pet features the eastern bank of Heaven, location of the Field of Reeds and the Field of Offerings. The morning sun Re is born here from the lap of Nut, cleansed in the Reeds, fed in the Offerings, then sent off on his journey to the West. 'Underworlds' 'Duat' The closest to an otherworldly home the Netjer have is their Underworld, Duat —sometimes called the Duat. Many of the Gods live within it, Set defends it during the evening, and others visit at certain times of the day or year. The Underworld is split into the main body, or Duat, and a paradise called A’aru. Running through Duat is the great river, Iteru, which connects the Underworld to the mortal realm via the sky. Re floats along this river in the sky during the day as the sun, and through the Underworld at night. He is flanked on either side by Bast and sometimes Djehuty, while other times Khnum sits beside him. A’aru is separated from Duat by a series of gates leading from the Hall of Two Truths. Duat only lacks the souls of those whose hearts weighed more than Ma’at’s feather. These hearts are fed to the crocodile-headed monster, Ammut, destroying the soul. Duat is divided into 12 Hours, the time it takes the barque to sail through, when the realm transforms into a battleground against Apep. Wesir and Re become one, and eventually the sun is reborn to leave the Underworld. The dead are judged nightly; if a Scion of the Netjer dies, she must be rescued from the Underworld before she’s judged in the Sixth Hour of Duat. 'Hall of Two Truths' The Hall of Two Truths holds the scales of Ma’at, used for weighing the hearts of the dead to determine if they are worthy to pass into the afterlife found in A’aru. Wesir sits there, before the gates to A’aru, with Djehuty and Anpu weighing the ibs of the dead brought to him by Anpu. Anpu also resides in the Hall of Two Truths, though he travels often enough. Ma’at is said to embody the scales Wesir uses. 'Mesektet ' Re’s boat as he passes through Duat is named Mesektet. Here, and along the banks of the Iteru, is where many of the Gods make their homes. Hundreds of Gods of the Netjer live on the boat other than Re, and every night it becomes a fortress protecting the sun God. While Mesektet is a boat, it is also a floating realm of its own. Re grants a few chosen souls — often those of important political leaders — access to the boat in lieu of going on to A’aru. These souls enjoy the lavish lifestyle provided by Re in return for doing odd jobs and favors for the God. This awards them the ability to return to the World and visit loved ones at times, and is a prized place among the dead. 'A’aru' Translated as “reed field,” the souls of those who have led just lives and followed ma’at pass into A’aru to spend eternity. Here, the river of the Underworld feeds lush islands of fertile earth and gentle sun, allowing people to live at ease and without any worries or needs. Hathor provides an abundance of milk and meat for those who spend their time here, and Wesir provides plenty of comforts and luxuries to keep the souls content. This part of the Underworld is a literal paradise, though it is reserved only for those who have been judged worthy; even the Gods do not reside here. 'Primordials' 'Ma'at' Ma’at not only represents Primordial Truth, she is Truth, and expresses herself through the expression of her nature. The Primordial herself sometimes walks the banks of Pet, appearing and speaking directly to Scions of the Netjer on topics of import. She appears as an androgynous individual with short-cropped black hair and mahogany brown skin. She speaks in riddles and enjoys putting on an air of mystery, though she is likely to give up the façade if presented with a real conundrum. Even Truth can contain multitudes. 'Ogdoad' Then there are the Ogdoad, the eight deities. Originally worshipped by humans in Egypt, they encompass all the unknowable things, such as night and day, sky and sun, the joy of taking action and the endless pull of inaction. As unmoving and unbending creatures, they could not change as the fickle minds of their worshippers did, and were left behind. The Netjer come to them for aid and sometimes advice. Some of them embody elements that would oppose ma'at but their mate, their intrinsic other halves, embody elements that uphold ma'at. This constant balancing act gives many Netjer pause when seeking to oppose or gain aid from the Ogdoad, but thankfully most are content to reside beyond the World. 'Titans' Most of the Netjer’s enemy Titans embody elements antithetical to ma'at. They sometimes work alone, but often seem to oddly synchronize, and how not? Apep and Isfet both promote chaos, while Aten promotes a singular order around himself. 'Apep - The Titan of Chaos ' The mighty serpent brings chaos and disorder wherever he goes. He tries to eat Re in a nightly war, and is constantly locked in battle against the Gods in Duat, in which the weapons have changed with the times. Some of the Gods fear what will happen if Apep acquires nuclear weapons, Re’s own fire; the Titan and his cults occupy a great deal of the pantheon’s attention, and cause a great deal of radicalized trouble throughout the World. Purview: Chaos. 'Isfet - The Goddess of Evil and Deception' A being who literally embodies evil and Deception, opposing truth and seeding lies. She exists as the counterpart to Ma’at, working in tandem with her fellow Titans to destabilize cultures and spread lies and misinformation. Her cults work to suppress stories of truth and oppress hardworking journalists in the World, and she is keen to work with other pantheons in order to promote narratives that diminish or humiliate the Gods and remet (people) of Egypt before the countries of the World. Purview: Deception. 'Aten - The Self-Appointed Mono God' For a brief time, the people of Egypt were monotheistic. Amenhotep IV (who took the new name Akhenaten) decreed that the Gods of the sun were one, a single expression of a single deity, Aten. The first example of monolatry in the World was, naturally, a Titan cult. Aten is solipsistic and grandiose, refusing the divinity and legitimacy of all other Gods and acknowledging them only as supernatural pretenders unworthy of true worship. A powerful, bearded man shining forth with rays of the Sun, Aten’s light corrupts all it touches, filling them with the fiery certitude of the zealous. His cults borrow a great deal from classic Kemeticism and the more modern monotheistic religions, shimmering white robes and dried cakes to promote communion held in golden monstrances. They bind and bend entire communities to Aten’s will, fearful worshippers clutching papyrus scrolls and powerful firearms. Purview: Sun. 'Religion' 'Kemeticism' The people in the World who worship the Netjer call themselves Kemeticists, from Kemet, the ancient word for Egypt. They worship all the Egyptian Gods in their different roles, but most place more importance on living a life that exemplifies ma’at over individual worship. As in the early days of worship, the current religion is broken down into highly individualistic cults divided amongst cities, each one following a small number of Gods whose Purviews match the needs of the followers. They perform rituals and magic granted by these individual Gods and serve them as loyal cult followers, according to the needs of their city priests. Any of the Netjer can call upon any cult, though tapping a cult not devoted directly to them is likely to end in miscommunication and unwanted results. No matter what, each cult attempts to follow ma’at and as long as directions are couched in those terms, the Netjer have a deep resource to draw on. 'Birthrights' The most common Birthrights of the Netjer take the form of Relics or Creatures, though a few Followers and Guides can be counted within their number. The following Birthrights are unique to the Netjer. 'Creatures' ' Sha': Sha is the mythical creature created by Set to embody his persona. It has the body of a dog, the head of a giraffe, and the tail of a donkey. It is the only animal that Set allows to follow him, eschewing other spiritual animals. ' Spawn of Ammut': This creature normally sits in the Hall of Two Truths and eats the hearts of those deemed unworthy. He is an amalgamation of the three most dangerous creatures found on the Nile — a crocodile, lion, and hippopotamus. Her spawn — technically titanspawn, though few admit this — are domesticated as small pets and used by Scions to track sinful hearts in the World. ' Spiritual Animal': All the Netjer are associated with a specific animal. Their spiritual animals are the first of their kind, uplifted to sit by the God’s side throughout eternity. Each one shares some divine properties with its master. 'Followers' ' Mummies': Corpses animated by Wesir to do his bidding, mummies populate both Duat and the world. ' Wadjet': Beings who offer protections to Egypt and others at the behest of the Netjer, their symbol is a stylized eye, often called the Eye of Heru or the Eye of Ra. 'Guides' Ghosts: While not ghosts in the traditional sense, these souls come from Duat, and are allowed to leave for the express purpose of acting as guides and messengers for Anpu. Scarab Beetle: The creature who rolls up the sun each night and lets it out again during the day. This creature is imbued with power and wisdom from Re. 'Relic' Amulet of Resurrection: '''These amulets, created by Wesir, can be placed on a mummified corpse to animate it for a short time. '''Book of Going Forth by Day: This book details the steps and spells used to resurrect Wesir. It also details how to get to Duat and how to perform a resurrection — or rather, a prison break before the execution. Feather of Ma’at: A replica of the feather used to weigh hearts against, containing fragment of Ma’at’s justice and the weight of her own soul. Sekhem Scepter: Wesir’s scepter, used as ruler of the Underworld. The scepter denotes power and the vital essence of life energy and resurrection. 'Relationship' Other Pantheons The closest of the other pantheons are the Theoi, who originate in a similar area of the World. Many of the Netjer followers began intermingling with the Theoi followers, bringing the Gods into contact with each other early in their history. This isn’t to say that the Gods of each pantheon are all friendly with one another, though some deep friendships have arisen, such as with Djehuty and Hermes. Re, being of many minds and having much jealousy, is often at odds with members of the Theoi, which of course means Wesir spends a great deal of time with them when he gets the chance. The Theoi also spent a bit of time in Pet and Duat after a brief expulsion from Olympus, something the Netjer have never really let them forget, especially after Egypt became a client state of Rome. Still, things have settled down these past few centuries. The Netjer and the Teōtl get along to a large degree, finding a great number of commonalities and a proper appreciation of the sun. Both work hard every day and night to ensure the World does not end. While Set and Loki have developed a bit of a friendly rivalry amongst themselves, often resorting to one-upmanship to an unreasonable degree, the rest of the Æsir have little contact with the Netjer and vice-versa. Greatest Weakness The greatest weakness the Netjer face is delegation and separation of duty. Throughout their existence, their followers have attributed nearly everything important to one member or another, to where half the pantheon has been deemed responsible for the sun at some point in their history. They aren't very good at not stepping on each other's toes either. Infighting among the Netjer is intense when they aren't concentrating on fighting off their Titans. This lack of separation can get fierce and vitriolic, and not a few Gods have fallen out of favor over the years due to political fights. Scions are often brought into these internecine conflicts on behalf of their parents, involving themselves in millennia-old grudges based on ideals of justice that have become lost in the reeds.